Machine for making tufted work on fabrics



May 3, 1938. J. MANN MACHINE FOR MAKING TUFTED WORK ON FABRICS Filed July 15, 19:57 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 1 Joseph Mann BY 1 M ATTORNEY May3, 1938. JMANN 3 2,116,176

MACHINE FOR MAKING TUFTED WORK ON FABRICS Filed July 15, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 K (X Z" INVENTOR Joseph Mann BY A - I v I I ATTORNEY May 3, 1938. .J. MANN 2,116,176

' MACHINE FOR MAKING TUFTED WORK ON FABRICS Filed July 13, 1957 5 Sheets-She'et 3 5 I INVENTOR mull" Z00 Joseph Mann Patented May 3, 1938 UNITED STATES MACHINE FOR MAKING TI JFTED WORK ON FABRICS Joseph Mann, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor of onehalf to Walter Borenstein, Brooklyn, N, Y.; Ella Borenstein administratrix of said Walter Borenstein, deceased Application July 13, 1937, Serial No. 153,331

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for making tufted work on fabrics so as to enable the production of articles such as bed spreads, bath mats and the like and to that end to provide mechanism for forming loops passing through a suitable material, cutting such loops to provide cut pile and preferably spreading the cut pile.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an attachment or mechanism adapted to be applied to and to co-act with the stitching mechanism of an ordinary sewing machine by the use of which the speed of the machine may be raised from the present conventional speed of approximately 2200 R. P. M. and to this end I utilize a looper member having a shank provided with a cutting edge combined with a loop cutting blademember cooperating with said looper member to form and cut the loops, the said members being so arranged that with a single movement in one direction the looper will be extended to receive the loop and the cutting edges of the knife and looper will be opened or separated while by a single movement in the opposite direction the looper will be retracted and the cutting edges closed to cut a loop whereby both the knife and looper may be simultaneously moved in opposite directions by a single rocker member.

Another object of my invention is to provide, in a mechanism of the type specified, a needle preferably having between its ends a flattened slit-forming section and a looper adapted to cooperate more positively with the needle to form the necessary loops and preferably having a laterally-grooved bill-end adapted, upon extension, to enter the slit formed between the needle slitforming section and yarn in order to receive the loop on said grooved end, said needle and looper 40 preferably being so disposed that when the laterally-grooved bill-end of the looper is inserted between yarn and said slit-forming section of the needle, the needle will be permitted to move vertlcally while partly extending laterally within Gil said lateral groove, thus not only procuring a positive engagement of loops by the grooved billend of the looper, but causing the engaged loop to be guided along said grooved-end into alignment with the axis of the needle and with the axis of the row of stitching being made thereby 'so as to permit cutting of the loops in such alignment.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a looping and cutting mechanism which will be capable of ready, easy and quick adjustment mately 1200 lt.- P. M. to a high speed of approxiin relation to the needle and other parts of the machine.

Still another object of my invention is to provide simple and easily adjustable means for raising and lowering the looper and blade members to enable the formation and cutting of longer loops and the consequent increasing of the length of the pile.

Another object of my invention is to provide mechanism of the character described which will comprise a minimum number of simple parts.

Another object of my invention is to provide a mechanism of the character specified in which the blade and a portion of the looper will have a definite scissors action in the cutting of the loops.

In general terms, one feature of my invention comprises the provision of a looper member pivoted between its ends and having above said pivot a bill-end and a shank portion provided with a cutting edge and below said pivothaving an angular shank provided with a terminal end movable awayfrom and toward the plane of said pivot to extend and retract the bill-end of said looper in combination with a knife member of angular conformation pivoted on said looper and having,

Another object of my invention is to provide a I substantially S-shaped looper member pivoted intermediate its ends and having a bill-end provided with a laterally-extending groove, an upper shank or neck portion provided with a bottom cutting edge, said groove portion being adapted to receive and guide loops and said looper member being combined with a blade pivoted on said looper and having an arcuate scissor movement in relation thereto to sever loops engaged and guided by the looper.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a looper and knife having oppositely beveled top edges to enable a spreading of the pile during feeding movement of the stitching mech-t anism.

With these and other objectsin view, the in vention comprises the combination of members and arrangement of parts so combined as to co-act and co-operate with each other in the performance of the functions and the accomplishment of the results herein contemplated, and comprises in one of its adaptations the species or preferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a sewing machine having my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating my eccentric mechanism for operating the work shaft;

Fig. 3'is a perspective view of my loop-forming and cutting mechanism combined with the stitching mechanism of the sewing machine illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the looper and knife members employed by me;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged front-end elevation of my improved loop-forming and loop-cutting mechanism in position to produce short loops with looper in retracted position after receiving one loop and showing, in section, the feed mechanism of the sewing machine; I

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing position of said mechanism after the needle has made a second reciprocation with the looper and knife in further retracted positions;

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the position of the looper when extended and about to receive a loop;

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the looper mechanism adjusted to produce long loops, and having one loop moved along its shank and about to be extended to receive a second loop;

Fig. 9 is a still further enlarged fragmentary detail of the looper and knife in position about to enter the needle slit-forming section at the start of operation;

Fig. 10 is a section on the line Ill-l0 of Fig. 9 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation of the looper and knife members in initial loop-receiving position;

Fig. 12 is a horizontal section on the line l2-i 2 of Fig. 11 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the looper and knife members in partly retracted position just after the first loop has been received and guided along the shank of the looper in its movement by the feed mechanism; and

Fig. 14 is a similar enlarged fragmentary elevation showing the position of the knife and looper members just after severing one of the two strandson the said looper.

Referring now to these drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral I indicates a sewing machine, as a whole, of any well known or preferred type, such as the ordinary Singer sewing machine. This sewing machine comprises an upright stock 2, an over-hanging arm 3 and a head 4. The machine has a flat base 5, and the head 4 is provided with the usual vertically-reciprocating needle bar 6, carrying a needle I, provided with the usual eye for receiving the tufting thread 8. This tufting thread is fed from any suitable source, not shown, and any suitable tension means may be provided for tensioning the tufting thread. The sewing machine embodies the usual means for reciprocating the needle and the usual presser foot 9, carried by a reciprocating presser bar Ill. The sewing machine further embodies work-feeding means to advance the work from the operator, including dogs I I operating through a suitable opening in the base 5, and these dogs are mounted on a dog-supporting link or bar 12 and suitably actuated through cranks not shown, and link l2 having a fork I3 for receiving the roller l4 pivotally mounted at l4 on a crank arm l5, in turn mounted upon a rock shaft, not shown. The foregoing description is that of the conventional sewing machine. A fixed pivot pin I6 is normally provided in such machine and in accordance with my invention, I utilize this pin IS on which to pivotally mount one end of an adjustable supporting plate or bar H for the looper and loop-severing elements, the opposite end I I of said plate having a slot connection with a fixed screw or pin l8, so that the rear end of said supporting plate may be raised and lowered to adjust the looper and loop-severing elements for the purpose of increasing or reducing the length of the loops and the pile formed thereby.

In the preferred form of my invention, I provide a looper member 20 which is pivoted between its ends on the adjustable supporting plate or bar l1. Said looper, as shown, is substantially S-shaped in conformation and is pivoted at the lower angular part 20' of the shank and has, above the pivot, a rocker-arm body portion 2|] and a combined neck 20 and a laterally grooved bill-end portion 20 projecting from said rocker-arm portion, said lateral groove being positioned closely adjacent to the end of the bill and being adapted to partly surround the needle when the looper is in extended position, and to guide the yarn, as hereinafter described. The lower edge 20* of the neck-portion is sharpened to provide a "utting-edge and the portion of said S-shaped looper at the lower or opposite side of the pivot is provided with a terminal operating arm 2|.I extending at an angle away from said pivoted portion so that upon movement of said terminal operating arm in'one direction, the rocker arm will be moved in the opposite direction about the pivot to extend into loop-receiving position the bill-end of the loop projecting therefrom, and when said terminal arm is moved in the opposite direction the upper rocker arm and billend will be moved into retracted position.

My S-shaped looper member is arranged to move into cooperating relationship with the needle on each rocking movement about its pivot and in the preferred embodiment of my invention, the grooved bill-end thereof will enter between a scarfed needle and the yarn while the needle is lowered and because of the lateral groove in its end the needle will be permitted to move in part of its upward stroke within said groove without contact or friction and will leave a loop on said grooved end. Upon further movement of the loop by the work-feeding mechanism of the machine, the loop will be guided around the laterally grooved portion and into alignment on the sharpened neck portion of the shank of the looper substantially with the axis of the needle and in registration with the axis of the row of stitching.

In accordance with the preferred form of my invention, the sharpened neck portion of the looper is adapted to cooperate in the cutting or severing of the loops with a. knife member 21 which, as illustrated, is of angular conformation and is pivoted at its angular portion 2| on the looper at the end of the upper rocking-arm. Said knife member is, as shown, provided with a projecting sharpened knife portion 2| 1 having a sharpened edge adapted to cooperate with the sharpened edge on the neck portion of the looper and said knife member also embodies an operating arm adapted to move simultaneously and in the'same direction as the operating arm of the looper 20 to cause the knife portion, during the extension movement of the looper, to be moved into open position and by a simultaneous single movement of both operating arms in the opposite direction to cause a closing of its knife edge on the neck of looper, the said looper and knife members thus being operable by a single movement in one direction to cause an extension of the bill of the looper and an opening of the knife away from the neck portion of said looper while by a single movement in the opposite direction, the bill of the looper will be retracted and the knife member will be simultaneously closed on the sharpened neckportion of the looper to sever the loop carried thereby, the parts being so arranged in relation to the stitching mechanism that movement in one direction of the operating arms of the looper and knife conjointly, will open up the knife edges of said members during the extension movement of the looper which, upon such extension movement, will receive an initial loop which will not be cut in the subsequent closing movement of the members but will, during the next movement of the looper, be moved along the looper by the work-feeding mechanism and in such movement, will be guidedby the bill-end of the looper as hereinabove specified. During such second movement of the looper into retracted position, the first loop will be out while the second loop will be retained and guided in the same manner, as hereinabove described, in rela-v tion to the first loop. Thereafter, the looper and "knife, during its retraction movement will sucsaid operating ends of the knife and looper and,

cessively cut each loop which has been-moved within its jaws and will successively retain a loop on its bill portion. i i

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, simple means is provided for moving the terminal operating arms of the looper and knife in opposite directions to procure the loop-receiving and loopcutting movements hereinabove described, and, as illustrated, I provide for this purpose a centrally located longitudinal rock shaft 22 which is supported in bearing brackets 23' suitably secured at the bottom of the base member 5. This shaft is provided, adjacent to one end, with a single rocker member 24 for so moving the aforeas illustrated, the said rocker member 24 is connected to the terminal operating arms of the looper and knife members by the links 25 and 26. As illustrated, the link 25 is pivoted at one end to the rocker arm intermediate the ends thereof, and at the opposite end is pivotally connected to the end of the operating arm of the looper,

opposite direction by the rocker arm will cause a retraction of the looper and a simultaneous movement of the cutting edge of the knife arm j stitching mechanism and cutting edge of the looper into loop-severing engagement.

The rocker arm 24, has a 'split end,24' and is adjfistably mounted at such split end on the rocker shaft by means of the set screw 25 and it will be seen that by setting this arm in the proper position in relation to the rocker shaft,

the bill portion of the looper may be accurately 3| by means of a rod 28 pivoted at its lower end to the operating arm 21 and at its upper end connected with a ring 29 on an eccentric 30, fast on said drive shaft 3|, driven by the belt 32 through the pulley 32 In the preferred embodiment of my invention specified, the knife member is held in resilient engagement with the looper member by means of a spring 34, (see Figs. 4 and 5 to 14) and the upper edges of the knife and looper members are oppositely beveled, as more particularly shown in said Fig.4, so that said beveled upper edges, when the looper is in its retracted position, will engage the piling of the loop and spread the same laterally, it being understood that in this embodiment the cutting takes place at the axis of the row of stitches and that consequently the top edges of the combined looper and knife mom-- bers will spread and fluff the pile of yarn during its movement by the work-feeding mechanism of the sewing machine.

It will be obvious that, though my novel looper and knife mechanism has been described in relation to a machine having a single needle, this mechanism may, by a mere duplication of parts, be applied to a machine having two or more needles, if desired.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a machine for producing a tufted article, stitching mechanism including work-feeding mechanism and a reciprocatory needle to carry the tufting thread through a fabric and producesupporting plate and embodying an extension portion provided at one siderof said pivotal mounting with a bill-end having extension and retracting movements across the path of travel of the needle to receivejhe loops thereon, said extension pore tion of the looper member being provided with a neck portion having a cutting edge, an angular knife member pivotally mounted on said looper member and having, at one side of said pivotal mounting, an arm provided with a cutting edge movable, during extension movement of the looper member, away fromthe cutting edge of said looper to open a loop-receiving space therebetween and movable toward said looper-cutting edge to close said space and sever a loop therein during retracting movement thereof, and rocking mechanism for simultaneously and positively moving both said looper and knife members about their pivots in a direction to produce said combined looper-extension and opening movement between said knife and looper, and for simultaneously and'positively moving both said looper and knife members about their pivots in the opposite direction to retract said looper member and move the knife and looper into closed loop-severing 1 position.

2. (In a machine for producing a tufted article, including work-feeding mechanism and a reciprocatory needle to carry the tufting thread through a fabric and produce loops, and s-shaped looper member having an/7 angular body portion pivotally mounted at the lower angular portion of its shank beneath the work-feeding mechanism and embodying an ex-- tension portion provided at one side of said pivotal mounting with a bill-end having extension and retracting movements across the path of travel of the needle to receive the loops thereon, said extension portion of the looper member being provided with a neck portion having a cutting edge, an angular knife member of substantially rectangular conformation pivotally mounted at its angular portion on said looper mechanism and having, at one side of said pivotal mounting, an arm provided with a cutting edge movable, during extension movement of the looper member away from the cutting edge of said looper to open a loop-receiving space therebetween and movable toward said looper-cutting edge to close said space and sever a loop therein during retracting movement thereof and rocking mechanism engaging arms of said looper and knife members at the opposite sides of said pivots for simultaneously moving ,said looper and knife members about their pivots in the same single direction to produce said combined looper-extension and opening movement between said knife and looper, and for simultaneously moving said looper and knife members about their pivots in the opposite direction to retract said looper member and move the knife and looper into closed loop-severing position.

3. In a machine for producing a tufted article, stitching mechanism including work-feeding mechanism and a reciprocatory needle to carry the tufting thread through a fabric and produce loops, an S-shaped looper member having an angular body portion pivotally mounted at the lower angular portion of its shank beneath the work-feeding mechanism and embodying an extension portion provided at one side of said pivotal mounting with a -bill-end having extension and retracting movements across the path of travel of the needle to receive the loops thereon,

- said extension portion of the looper member being provided with a neck portion having a cutting edge, an angular knife member of substantially rectangular conformation pivotally mounted at its angular portion on said looper mechanism and having, at one side of said pivotal mounting, an arm provided with a cutting edge movable, during extension movement of the looper member away from the cutting edge of said looper to open a loop-receiving space therebetween and movable toward said looper-cutting edge to close said space and sever a loop therein during retracting movement thereof and rocking mechanism engaging arms of said looper and knife members at the opposite sides of said pivots for simultaneously moving said looper and knife members about their pivots in the same single direction to produce said combined looper-extension and opening movement between said knife and looper,

and for simultaneously moving said looper and stitching mechanism 4. In a machine for producing a tufted article, stitching mechanism including work-feeding mechanism and a reciprocatory needle to carry the tufting thread through a fabric and produce loops, an S-shaped looper member having an angular body portion pivotally mounted at the lower angular portion of its shank beneath the work-feeding mechanism and embodying an extension portion provided at one side of said pivotal mounting with a bill-end having extension and retracting movements across the path of travel of the needle to receive the loops thereon, said extension portion of the looper member being provided with a neck portion having a cutting edge, an angular knife member of substantially rectangular conformation pivotally mounted at its angular portion on said looper mechanism and having, at one side of said pivotal mounting, an arm provided with a cutting edge movable, during extension movement of the looper member away from the cutting edge of said looper to open a loop-receiving space therebetween and movable toward said looper-cutting edge to close said space and sever a loop therein during retracting movement thereof and rocking mechanism engaging arms of said looper and knife members at the opposite sides of said pivots for simultaneously moving said looper and knife members about their pivots in the same single direction to produce said combined looper-extension and opening movement between said knife and looper, and for simultaneously moving said looper and knife members about their pivots in the opposite direction to retract said looper member and move the knife and looper into closed loop-severing position, said rocking mechanism comprising a rock shaft, means for rocking the same and a single rocking arm mounted at one end on said shaft and provided at its opposite end with a pair of pivoted links one of which has a pivotal connection with a terminal arm of the looper member below the pivoted portion thereof and the other of which has a pivotal connection with the knife member below the pivoted portion thereof, said single rocking arm having an adjustable connection with said rock shaft to permit accurate adjustment of the bill-end of the looper member in relation to the needle.

5. In a machine for producing a tufted article, including work-feeding mechanism and a reciproeatory needle to carry the tufting thread through a fabric and produce loops, a looper member comprising a shank portion pivotally mounted between its ends to provide, atone end, an operating-arm portion movable about and below said pivotal mounting and at the other end a rocker-arm portion movable above said pivotal mounting and carrying a loopengaging extension arm provided with a bill-end having extension and retracting movements across the path of the needle to receive the loops thereon, said extension arm also being provided with a cutting edge, a knife member comprising an angular lever pivotally mounted on the rockerarm portion of said looper member and having, at one side of its said pivotal mounting, a cutter arm movable into and out of cutting contact with the extension arm of the looper and provided with a cooperating cutting edge, and at the other side of its said pivotal mounting having an operatingarm movable in the same direction and conjointly with the operating-arm of the looper member, and rocking mechanism engaging said operating arms of the looper and knife members and positively moving both of said operating arms simultaneously in one direction and then simultaneously in the opposite direction about their pivots.

6. In a machine for producing a tufted article,

'loops, 9. looper member having a. laterally-extending loop-engaging arm movable in the arc of a circle and provided with a bill-end having extension and retracting movements across the path of travel of the needle, said looper having a shank portion comprising a bell-crank lever mounted on a pivot between its ends and having a reentrant arm extending to said pivot and an operatingarm extending from said pivot at an angle to said reentrant arm, said loop-engaging arm also being provided with a cutting edge, a knife member also comprising a bellcrank lever mounted at its angle portion on a pivot carried by the looper and having one arm extending in the direction of said loop-engaging arm and provided with a cutting edge movable into and out of cutting contact with the cutting edge of said laterally-extending loop-engaging arm, said bell-crank lever having an operatingarm extending into adjacency with the operating-arm of the looper member, and rocking mechanism engaging said operating arms of the looper and knife members and positively movin one direction and then simultaneously in the opposite direction about their pivots.

7. In a machine for producing a tufted article, stitching mechanism including work-feeding mechanism and a reciprocatory needle to carry the tufting thread through a fabric and produce loops, a looper member having a pivoted operating portion and a loop-engaging extension portion provided with a knife edge and having extension and retraction movements across the path of the needle, a knife member pivoted between its ends on said looper member and comprising a knife portion and an operating portion, said knife portion being movable about said last-mentioned pivot into and out of cutting relationship with the knife edge of the looper member, a pair of link members having pivotal connections with said operating portions of the looper and knife members, a single rockshaft for actuating both looper and knife members, means for rocking said shaft, and motiontransmitting means mounted on said shaft and having pivotal connections with both of said links to positively rock said looper and knife members to move the said knife portion of the knife member into and out of cutting relationship with the knife edge of the looper member during said extension and retraction movements.

JOSEPH MANN. 

